DARDANELLE — The Dardanelle City Council approved Monday a request for an injunction against a man who has protested at City Hall for several weeks.

With the council’s approval, the petition can now be signed by the mayor and city attorney and presented to a judge for approval.

Tony Lamb has staged a protest against the city since early November, claiming two sewer backups into his house were the result of a clogged city sewer main. The city denied responsibility and has refused to pay the $8,832.54 in damages Lamb requested.

Police Chief Montie Sims said city staff, area business owners and city water customers have complained against Lamb. Sims said Lamb creates a traffic hazard when he positions himself near the drive-through entrance to the city’s Water Department, where customers come to pay their bills.

Lamb has been asked by Sims and other city staff not to stop near the drive-through entrance.

“He more or less advised me ... that he would watch out for traffic, but he considered that a part of the sidewalk and therefore he had a right to be there,” Sims said.

Mayor Carolyn McGee said the city would not prevent Lamb from protesting.

“We’re not asking him to move off the premises, just to change his location,” she said.

When contacted by The Courier on Monday, Lamb — who was not protesting outside City Hall at that time — said he had not yet heard of the petition for injunction against him.

“It was the city’s lines that backed up into my home, and now they’ve somehow made me out to be the bad guy and they’ve got me turned around where I’ve got to pay for the damages they caused to my home,” he said. “... I’ll move further down. I think they just don’t want to watch me sitting out there in the cold.”

City budget approved

Also on Monday, aldermen approved the city’s 2014 budget.

All present aldermen voted in favor of the budget, which shows a projected $3,035,832 in projected General Fund revenues and $2,707,513 in expenses. The Street Department had a projected $532,583 in revenues and $413,351 in expenses. Projections for the Water Department were $1,820,741 in revenues and $1,210,406 in expenses and for the Sewer Department were $457,229 in revenues and $386,762 in expenses.